1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to live well containers. More specifically, the present invention is drawn to apparatus for dissolving oxygen in a live well to maintain an adequate oxygen level required to sustain life of fish and other aquatic fauna.
2. Description of the Related Art
The storage, and/or transport of live fish and other live aquatic fauna and organisms require water containing an adequate amount of oxygen dissolved therein. The minimum amount of dissolved oxygen required to sustain life varies from species to species. It is known, however, that most species begin to experience stress at dissolved oxygen concentration below five (5) parts per million (ppm).
Usually, when transporting or storing live fish or the like, the population densities are greatly increased over natural population densities. If the organisms are to be maintained in prime physical condition, it is essential that the water in the storage container (live well) be sufficiently oxygenated to prevent stress or even death to the live organisms.
Maintaining appropriate oxygen concentrations in the water of the live well becomes an exercise of balancing the population of the organisms in the well, the volume of the live well and the rate of oxygen dissolved in the water. To date, the population of the organisms and the size of the live well have been limited by the rate of oxygen that could be dissolved. Varied solutions have been proposed to more efficiently accelerate this process. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,277 (Murray), U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,360 (Jeffries), U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,672 (Raia), U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,789 (Radmanovich) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,017 (Clark et al.) disclose systems that employ atmospheric air to aerate the water in live wells. These systems are limited because of the low concentration of oxygen that can be dissolved in water from atmospheric air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,327 (Ross, Sr. et al.) is drawn to an aerated live well system that employs ice to cool the water in the live well. Although lowering temperature will enhance the ability of water to absorb oxygen, the enhanced ability is small when compared to the cost involved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,916 (Power) is drawn to an electronically controlled live well having compartments for fish and bait. The well is provided with means to circulate the water through the compartments. There appears to be no other aeration apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,435 (Stafford) and European Patent numbered 0 359 965 A1 contemplate replenishing live well water with gaseous oxygen. The instant patents lack the high rate of oxygen solubility required for live wells of large volume.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to disclose a live well oxygenator system as will be subsequently described and claimed in the instant invention.